Dark on Fire
by B00TH
Summary: Will Bones be careful like she promised? Will Booth be able to protect everything? Will this be the case that finally pushes them together in the way we all hope? Crime fighting and smut - it's a beautiful thing. EVENTUAL then continuous smut.
1. Meeting the Case

**Author's Note:  
My first fanfic, please be nice and bear with me. Read and Review if you like, keep in mind this is just an introduction.**

**I do not own the characters of the TV show Bones. However, if Seeley Booth was for sale I would do a lot of illegal things to get at him.**

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I reached across the table to grab the file and Booth edged it just out of my reach.

"Booth if you expect me to help you have to actually let me read up on the case!"

Booth walked around the cadaver table to stand in front of me, a mere file folder's length apart. "Bones, I want you to be careful with this one, okay? I didn't even want to let you help but my boss insisted due to the previous investigational incidents. I need you to agree that if you decide to work on this case that you will listen to me about your need for protection."

"What is that supposed to mean? I'm not agreeing to let you protect me however you see fit because in most occurrences you're entirely too overprotective Booth! What is so different about this case?"

"The difference with this case… is that five women have already been killed and-"

"Booth I've investigated mass murders in a number of countries, not to mention my work here in the states that includes several serial murderers with far more kills under their belt. What is supposed to make this case so different, so dangerous?"

"BONES, if you'd let me finish I would tell you that this particular serial killer targets powerful, influential women in various communities around Virginia. But the reason this came to us are the FIVE WOMEN that were on the teams investigating this guy before us were killed. I have the bodies of the first three women, they are all mummy-rific and what not. They were found in an underground bunker that was apparently abandoned before he grabbed the fourth agent. He's killed 17 women in all and the FBI is starting to go crazy about this guy, but we have to be careful, I NEED you to be careful Bones. Please!" he reiterated before smacking the file folder into my stomach.

"Okay!" I said rolling my eyes causing him to raise his eyebrows with his 'don't mess with me on this one' face. "Alright Booth! I understand the danger now, I'll let you look out for me on this case, okay?" I took the file over to the computers and logged into the mainframe. "I'm going to need those bodies here as soon as possible and I'd like you to take Hodgins over to the bunker to see if he can get any particulates from the floor. There has to be something helpful at that location."

"You got it Bones. Hodgins!" he called Hodgins over from the other side of the station and they left to go about their business.

"Hey Bren, what do you need me to do?" Angela said swiping in and coming up behind me.

"Nothing yet, it seems that this case work is in order. They've identified all of the victims so far. I'm going to need you on hand once the bodies arrive to put their injuries into your simulator. Thanks Ange."


	2. Meeting the Dead

**Author's Note**

**My second chapter in hopes of furthering the story for our two love birds. **

**Read and review and tell me if you like it or tell me if you don't? I'd love to hear from some readers!**

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"Bones, what's the news?" Booth said swiping back into the platform with Hodgins.

"Well I'll share once you tell me why you're both covered in... some kind of dust?" I asked dragging a finger over Booth's shoulder, pulling it away covered in a light gray powder.

"Well if Booth had listened to me about the idea that cults often have secret compartments in the walls or floors. He just walked right up to that lever and pulled..." Hodgins explained shaking his head disapprovingly.

"You're kidding right?! It's not like we're in some old movie where the fireplace rotates into another room! It's not like your paranoid rambling mean anything... most of the time. So apparently I pulled the lever that opened a wall panel... turns out the tunnel hadn't been used in a while but we had to check it out anyways. Thus the dust."

"Okay... Well Brennan and I have been working on figuring out what led to the deaths of these women while you boys were playing in tunnels." Angela explained. "We have discovered that they were tortured over several days with Zach and Cam's help. Some of the flesh wounds had already begun to heal by the time of death. Which is, you know, super cheerful."

"I got a call when I was bringing Hodgins back about a lawn care worker that was supposed to be the last person to see two of the victims right before they went missing. Bones you want to ride along for the questioning?" Booth said coming closer, eyes sparkling like they always did when his comments were directed at me.

"Well," I said patting his shoulder so dust came off of him in clouds causing him to cough a little, "as much fun as it would be to spend the rest of the day inhaling dust I would like to help Zach clean the bones and start identifying weapons."

"I could go with you Booth. I can be helpful if he saw someone suspicious, maybe get a drawing of a suspect out of it...?" Angela volunteered.

"Now, you see that Bones? Some people don't mind 'inhaling dust' if it means riding around with a young, strapping FBI agent." Booth motioned to Angela by using two fingers to point towards the exit. "Shall we?"

"Lead the way young, strapping FBI agent!" Angela said while looking at me, wiggling her eyebrows to emphasize 'young' and 'strapping'.

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Booth returned to the Jeffersonian later that night. I was working on paperwork.

"I brought us some Chinese food." Booth said setting a box with 3 brown paper bags in it on the table next to me. He leaned down close to my ear and whispered, "I even showered just for you" and then let his face curl into one of his beautiful charming smiles.

"How'd everything go with the questioning? Where's Ange?"

"Well the questioning ended up taking longer then we thought. Turns out it wasn't the lawn care guy that we originally thought that had helpful information. It was his 24 year old son. The dad was kind of creepy anyways. But Angela ended up staying with the kid to try and get a sketch out of him. He said he saw the same guy lurking around on both nights that he saw the two women. I'm going to question the rest of the employees tomorrow. That same company works around the Virginia area and has the span to cover most of the areas that these women went missing and seeing as I don't believe in coincidences this could be the connection we're looking for."

"Well what are we waiting for? I can go now, let's go question them now!" I said hurriedly, I wanted to get to the bottom of this.

"Bones, Bones. When is the last time you looked at the clock? It's 1am we're not going to find anyone awake. We'll go first thing in the morning when people won't bite our heads off for questioning them. Ya?" He smiled at me again and put crossed arms onto to the edge of the table. "Now do you want some of this delicious Chinese food, or not?" he said leaning across the table getting close enough that I could smell his cologne.

I took a deep breath and let the scent really hit me and then exhaled, "Ya, okay."

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**Sorry just minor wording changes and grammatical corrections that would have kept bothering me. I'm excited to have a few people alerting the story already. I hope to keep a pretty tight schedule until the chapters start getting longer. I should have at least one, maybe two chapters up by tomorrow night. Sending some love your way readers!! THANKS!**

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	3. Bring on the Pain

**I'm so excited to have reviews and readers and I'm VERY sorry that my updates did not come as promised. I spent the weekend in the hospital, all is well again but I now have knowledge of appendicitis and appendectomy procedures. SECONDHAND thankfully. But my brother is whole again (minus his Appendix, but apparently you don't miss those too much). I am back to writing and spent some time furthering my plot notes so sorry for the delay but here it is - Chapter 3. Thanks for waiting!!!!**

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I came into my office the next morning overloaded with my bag and my purse while trying to juggle the files Zach had given me on the way in. I clunked my bags onto my desk and the papers began tipping out of the files. I let out an exasperated sigh as I shoved them back in.

"Morning Bones!" Booth called in a sing song voice from behind me. "I brought you coffee and it looks like you could use a break already."

I took the coffee he offered with a small smile, "Thanks! But no break necessary, I'm ready to go question the people from the lawn company. Lead the way." I quickly knocked the folders against the glass top of my desk to bring all the papers back into place and tucked them under my arm. Turning I followed Booth out of my office and out of the Jeffersonian to his SUV.

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We spent the rest of the morning and into the afternoon driving between different units of the lawn care company questioning the employees. "I've seen enough Brady Brothers trucks for a lifetime." Booth complained, "And while there were a lot of guys I thought were capable of illegal things I didn't get the torture and murder vibes from any of them."

"Well the good thing is Angela called and said she had helpful clues but she needed advice on how they piece together. Can we please head back to the Jeffersonian now? I don't feel like we accomplished anything and this murderer is, admittedly, getting to me a little. I want to be doing something productive."

"Bones, everything is going to be fine. I'm not going to let anything happen to you! You don't need to be scared of him."

"I didn't say I was scared Booth!" I countered, annoyed at the implication. "I just want to make him pay for all the chaos he's caused, all these women deserve justice and he deserves to live in a very small cell for a very long time."

He looked over at me and I saw his face tighten in a grim smile. I knew he was worried about what might happen on this case. Not only did I have faith in his ability to protect me but I have faith in our team and what we can do. How we can find minute pieces of evidence out of seemingly nothing and together put them into context. I was not scared. We drove the rest of the way in silence.

"Are you ready for your explanation Ange?" I asked re-clipping my ID card to the pocket of my lab coat after swiping onto the platform.

"Hey, ya sure, come over here and take a look at my sketch." She replied placing her sketch pad open on one of the stainless steel tables on the side of the platform.

She stood just to the left of the drawing and Booth walked up and stood to the right, leaving only a slender space in the center. I walked and stood just behind and in between them placing my hand at the small of Booth's back I leaned in to look at the drawing. Booth rotated towards me and pulled away as if I'd hurt him. He looked at me with raised eyebrows and mouth slightly agape mumbling something incoherently.

"What?!" I asked it's not like I'd done something wrong. It hadn't felt wrong to just let myself touch him. It felt right in fact, proximity to Booth always felt right.

"Just back up a little Bones! Geez." He said laughing - a mixture of nervousness and what looked like... non-chalantness? His eyes darting quickly to Angela like I had done something to embarrass him. He looked back to me and his eyes softened but I lost what emotion he was trying to convey. I was breathless, confused. I didn't know what that was supposed to mean. Had I misjudged his comfort level with me? No, I decided, I could not have misinterpreted all of our interactions. By now I had begun believing that I wasn't understanding the depth of meaning that Booth put into our relationship.

"Alright..." I responded to him and walked around to Angela's other side. Trying to send fake emotions to my eyes, shielding the confusion and odd tightness in my chest that was fairly close to physical pain. Well this was an interesting interaction to add to my memory.

"Anyways, you two... This is the picture that Lawrence - the lawn guy's son - gave me. But the odd thing that I wanted to talk about is the fact that Lawrence was kind of creepy. But he was also creepy because at times he was obviously... kind of creep and at other times he was down right charming. Booth I wish you had stayed so you could have done your 'reading' thing. He was really confusing to me."

"Well we didn't talk to him today because I knew you already talked to him. We will have to pay him another visit! Bones, you coming?"

"No... I think I will stay here. I have work to do." I explained. That was incredibly true. Victory, Victory... wasn't that the phrase Booth used?

He stopped midway down the stairs off the platform to turn and look at me. "Bones?!"

"I'm staying here Booth." I said with finality and it was my turn to observe the hurt and confusion he couldn't hide from his eyes. But it didn't give me that childish sense of superiority I hoped it would. It made my chest pain worse.

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**So there it is. Next chapter to come very soon. I'm getting excited for their future. Am I the only one? So... I found after 3 reviews that I enjoy them immensely. Thanks so much for reading let me know if you're going to keep reading. **

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	4. Taking on the Issue

**I had to make some grammar/spelling changes, not a new chapter, thanks!!!**

**Hello boys and girls, please accept my sincerest apologies for my delay. I've been missing these characters like nobody's business. Without further delay please enjoy the new chapter, it's not very long (well okay it's the longest one yet but I'm getting excited about what's going to happen next!!) but I promise not to make you wait as long as you have been. Promise, promise.**

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I realized once I was alone how much I wanted to go to the questioning. What had made me strike back at Booth that way? Sometimes he aroused feelings in me that caught me off guard. Would an apology be a good idea? The problem was, usually, if I had this weird feeling about whether or not something I did warranted an apology I would ask Booth. I pondered the possibility of an apology and decided that perhaps if the occasion presented itself I would try to explain myself to Booth... whatever that might mean...

"Hey Zach," I called out "have you figured out what caused these notches in the radius and ulna bones?"

"No Dr. Brennan, I discovered that this particular torture was performed very early on but the cut shapes are varied throughout these three bodies. The wounds are in the same general areas, without pattern. It's as if he followed the same torture patterns with different weapons for each victim."

"Okay well I want you to make casts and get working on identifying weapons if he is using several we need to start making a catalogue of every tool he uses to see if they tell us something..." I explained as my phone started to ring, "...a profession perhaps" I finished. "Brennan," I answered.

"It's Booth I need you to stay at the Jeffersonian until I get back, in fact make sure Cam and Angela do too. I went to meet with Lawrence and he is missing in action as is his father. In the off chance that this means something I need to know where all of you are."

"What you are putting me under house arrest?!" I asked indignantly.

"You know what Bones, just do this for me for 30 minutes until I get there and then you can explain your issue with safety to my face." He said angrily and then i heard the click as he hung up.

Here I had the idea of making somewhat of an apology and I'd made him angrier. I went back to the platform and explained the situation to Cam and Angela before I started helping Zach with the tools for the remainder of the time until Booth came back. The feeling that Booth and I needed to talk was growing but what the conversation was supposed to be about was still escaping me. An apology, an explanation, something else entirely?

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"Seeley I've doubled the security outside the entrances to the lab and we have a guard walking all of the female employees to their cars at the end of the day. Other then having a detail on our homes I don't see what else we can do."

"That's what I want Cam until this guy is caught! I want you, Angela, and Bones to have a security detail when you're outside the lab. Please."

"Okay, if you really think it's necessary I'll make the call." Cam relented.

"Booth, I understand why you are worried but I would like to decline a security detail, it's up to Cam and Angela if they would like one." I countered.

"Sweety, I understand that you believe you can take care of yourself and that very well may be the case but could you just let Booth do this, for me?" Angela asked. "I would feel much better knowing that what happened to these women doesn't happen to anyone else and definitely not you! I have a date tonight and you are more then welcome to send any amount of armed guards after me as long as they are discreet." She directed at Booth, "Thanks, you strapping FBI man."

"Bones can I talk to you for a sec?" Booth asked while walking to my office. Once we walked inside he started, "Please just don't fight me on this okay Bones? It's been a rough day and I just want you to do this for me, heck for Angela she asked you too! Just let me protect you okay, I need to protect you!" He said running his hands through his hair worriedly.

"Okay Booth, okay." I said crossing the room to him I put my hand lightly inside his and squeezed. "I'm sorry about today. I don't know what came over me, not going with you on that interview. I should've gone, I wanted to go."

"Ya I know the feeling, we've been kind of off don't you think?"

"I don't know if I would use the term off... But I've been feeling weird and I didn't know how to bring it up. I didn't want to talk to Angela about it because she's always clear about what she thinks the desired outcome is when it comes to you and I. I would like to talk to you about the... issue... but I don't know how or really what these feeling are, and again I don't like that feeling."

"Uhhh Bones..." He started stammering and he leveled his eyes and looked into mine. "You know what Bones," he said on a small smile, "I don't think we can have a real talk about the 'issue' until you know exactly what your feelings are. But I'll be ready when you are, okay?"

I tried to keep my face stoic. "Yes, that's okay." I said very evenly toned. Booth wasn't going to talk to me about this. I had to figure out my feelings on my own?! How was I supposed to do that? I hated that this discussion was doing nothing more then bringing up more questions. I had to organize feelings and I wasn't even sure what it was that these feelings were supposed to be about. My feelings about Booth? I had lots of feelings about Booth. It would help if I knew why he reacted so oddly to me touching him this morning. It would help if I knew what was causing my chest tightness. I forgot that Booth was looking at me, his real 'all knowing' look. I quickly turned and started walking towards my desk.

"You'll figure it out Bones, you always do. This is just one of those things that I can't help you with." He said putting his hands in his jeans pockets.

I turned and quickly ran my eyes over him. He was wearing his butterscotch colored leather jacket over a white t-shirt that said something about bulldogs in maroon. He always looked so good in that jacket, it was one of my favorites. I looked away purposefully directing my eye contact elsewhere. "Well that's what I don't understand Booth! You always help me with this sort of thing, that's how we work. I handle the literal, science stuff and you help me with these emotional things."

"Okay here's all the advice I'm going to give you for this one. Figure out what the 'issue' you were talking about is. Is it just that we had a weird day? If that's what it is we can talk about what made this day different. If it's something more about what this day made you FEEL then you need to know what that feeling means to you and then we'll figure out what it means for us. But for this particular 'emotional thing' you're going to have to help me because I can't bring all the cards to the table. Are you really okay?"

I looked up from the files I had been putting in alphabetical order and met his gaze.

"Bones?"

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**I'm hesitating a bit here in my writing because I want them to stay in character as much as possible but I also would like to see them get busy this century because quite honestly anyone who's been watching the show for the past 4 and a half years should be dying for it like I am. **

**Let me know what you think! Be honest but don't get too mean on me the transition for Bones/Booth to naughty Bones/Booth is rough because I want it to feel natural to me as a fan of the show. **

**Leave me some love and enjoy the love I'm sending your way you lovely readers of mine.**

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	5. Feelings to Feel

**No Copyright Infringement is intended in any part of this story, the characters of Bones belong to FOX.**

**I told you I wouldn't make you wait that long. I got a helpful review that aided me start wading through Bones' feelings for this chapter. Hope you enjoy!**

**NOTE: This story is set before Zach leaves the Jeffersonian and after Sweets joins the team. However, Hodgins and Angela have already broken up and reached amicable relations... just because as of now I'm steering clear of H/A drama. **

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"Bones?"

"Well if you're going to ask me to do this on my own then I'm going to do it my way. I will think about it and make sure I know what I am feeling before I bring the issue up to you again." I said determinedly.

Booth put his head down and nodded it several times before looking up at me through his lashes. "I'll be here for you Bones, always." And then he left the office.

I wasn't upset in fact I was kind of excited to really explore what feelings he was asking me to bring forth. Booth and I had a very unique relationship, everyone that has spent any time with us thinks we are dating. Sweets already thinks we are in love with each other but I didn't put a lot of stock into how he came to that conclusion. I always thought that our partnership functioned so well and that bringing up any sort of attraction would cause problems. By the way Booth reacted when I brought up our issue made me feel like he was ready to bring our attraction out in the open. Was I ready for all that meant? For all the 'I told you so' comments from Angela and the difficulties of the rest of the team finding out? But I witnessed the passion Booth had for the things that were important to him, the things he loved and picturing what kind of benefits that would mean being in a relationship with him alleviated any kind of tightness in my chest. The feelings were there, if this is what Booth wanted to talk about I had made my decision. Knowing that he would be able to tread the waters better then me for this particular situation I evaluated my feelings for a few more minutes and decided I was comfortable enough to jump in when the situation presented itself.

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Two hours later my cell phone started buzzing across my desk. "Angela? Aren't you supposed to be on your date?"

"Brennan, Booth isn't answering his phone!" Angela said hurriedly in a barely audible whisper, "Lawrence and his dad are at the same restaurant as me! Is it possible this is a coincidence? Please say yes! I'm at the sit down Italian restaurant - Amico's - that's a block away from the diner. I saw Lawrence and sort of half waved at him, because let's face it he's a creep and he just smirked at me! Sweety I'm scared get ahold of Booth and get the hell over here or I'm calling the cops."

"I'm leaving now, are you still at the table? Keep your date with you and don't go anywhere alone, PLEASE!"

"I'm in the hallway by the bathrooms right now but I will go back out into the restaurant and wait for you. Please hurry!"

I grabbed my bag and jacket on the way out my office door and raced to the parking garage hitting redial for Booth repeatedly. I got to the restaurant in under 10 minutes after hanging up with Angela. I realized that I hadn't checked with my FBI detail before leaving the Jeffersonian and was therefore escort-less. However, Angela's escort was rather inconspicuously parked in front of the large restaurant window. I knocked on the dark tinted glass of the sedan, "Please come into the restaurant with me, Angela may be in danger." I finished the sentence by shouting over my shoulder while continuing into the entrance. To my relief Angela was sitting with a good looking dusty blonde haired man. "Ange! Thank goodness you're alright! Where are they?"

"They got up and left out the back door right after I came back from calling you, I'm sure they figured something was up. I definitely think these are our guys, one of them has to be. When they were walking out Lawrence's dad, Troy I think, I heard him say, 'I see what you mean' to Lawrence. This is seriously creepy Bren and where the hell is Booth?! I don't want to see those guys ever again unless he has them in hand cuffs."

"I don't know he didn't answer my calls either this is so unlike him. Why don't we head back to the lab and wait to hear from him. Why don't you ride back with me? I'll let your FBI guys know and give you time to say goodbye to your date."

"Ya goodbye for good I think, something tells me Josh didn't sign on for a first date this intense." she said as she walked back to the blonde with an extremely puzzled look on his face.

I walked towards the entrance to the restaurant where the two agents were. They stuck out in their cookie cutter suits and long tan overcoats, Booth really was the best dressed FBI agent I'd ever met. "Ms. Montenegro is going to ride back to the Jeffersonian with me, I would appreciate it if you would follow us." I explained as Angela joined me, slipping her arms into her coat.

"Lead the way Sweety."

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Fifteen minutes later we were walking through the sliding doors of the lab and I could see Booth leaning against the guard rail inside the platform talking quietly to Cam.

"BOOTH! Where the heck have you been? I must've called you 20 times!" I was so angry I didn't even wait to get on the platform before I started confronting him. "Do you realize you are the one that went all crazy about our safety and the first time in this case there may have been real danger you weren't even there?! What were you thinking?! Where were you?!" He better have a good excuse, I thought to myself, I was fuming. He had never, ever, let me down like this before.

"Angela I'm sorry. The agents finally got ahold of me once you got to the restaurant Bones. I was getting my ass chewed out by the Director. It seems he wants this case solved, ya know, yesterday and he's not pleased with all the overtime I've allotted for your security details. I didn't think it was going to be such a mess seeing as you were on a date, in public and Bones and Cam were here. I can't tell you how sorry I am, it won't happen again." He paused and his face relaxed until it was the picture of seriousness, "You have my word."

And dammit it if my anger didn't dissipate on the spot. Those stupid, dare I admit, sexy brown eyes. "Well okay then, as long as you've explained yourself." I said, time to get back to business... I walked over to the computer and logged on. "Angela described her interaction with Lawrence and Troy Crowley and I really think they are your killers. Angela and I decided that we are going to log as many hours as we can until we find out not only a way to link these two to the crimes but also a way to locate them." I explained.

"Well," Booth said taking off his suit jacket and draping it over the back of a chair and meeting my eyes, "I'm not letting you out of my site." He unbuttoned the shirt sleeves of his white collared shirt and started rolling the sleeves up his forearms. "I'll go over paper work and let me know if you need help with anything... as long as it's not too squint-y."

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**I hope you guys and gals enjoyed the chapter. Review and let me know what you think! Pretty please?! I really enjoy hearing what you all think of the writing or how the situation is progressing or just a little bit of love for encouragement. All is appreciated. And you loverlies out there that are adding this story to your alerts I'm loving you all too!!! I'm thinking these two kids should get to talking so they can get on to other things... anyone with me? Thanks for reading, thank you, thank you.**

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	6. Appreciating the Distance

**No Copyright Infringement is intended in any part of this story, the characters of Bones belong to FOX.**

**So it's been FOREVER and you have my sincerest apologies for being a crappy updater. I will TRY my hardest to keep to a more regular updating schedule but obviously I can't make promises because I suck at keeping them. But trust me you, my readers, are VERY important to me and I thank you for giving me another chance all these weeks later to read this and even give me some feed back if you feel so inclined. Thank you for being a lovely reader of mine and I hope you enjoy**

**I have hoped to keep them as FAR from OOC as possible and I hope I'm doing a good enough job. Reviews are welcome but fair warning I want them to get together and for now that's out of character for them so it may not feel right to everyone... so be nice... please and thank you.**

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It had been 3 hours and it was getting close to midnight.

"Is it 'too squint-y' asking if you could order us chinese food?" I questioned Booth, I was quite proud of my joke like question. I was rewarded when a smile spread across his face.

"Well that depends Bones, are you asking me to figure out what you really want to eat without asking? Because that would include some serious brain activity!" He said rising from his stool and coming over to the table I was seated at.

He spread his arms and placed them on the table, his palms facing me and his fingers curling under the table edge. I was overcome with a need to grab his tie and pull his smiling face close to mine. Oh yes, these 'feelings' were becoming quite concrete in my mind, the physical aspects at the very least. I really was susceptible to physical attraction and the activities that came naturally from that attraction, when allowed. Right now I wanted nothing more then to enjoy Booth in every physical way I could. What I found was how much the thoughts clouded my mind. Usually I was able to separate the two segments of my person - the mental and the physical. However, this need for Booth was zapping all of my attention. I needed to be focused now! This was an inopportune time to be having these overcoming sensations. I shook my head, I could prioritize, it was the rational thing to do.

"It would be helpful if you pick for us, as you normally do so I can continue working, if that's alright."

"Yup, no problem. I can guess what your stomach wants for the most part, it's when your brain gets involved that you always throw me." He pulled his hands away from the table and met my gaze before walking back to his jacket pocket to retrieve his cell.

I heard him start placing our order and I refocused on my work. Zach and I really needed to find out the type of tools that were inflicting these wounds. We had singled out a larger scissor type instrument that Hodgins had called pruning shears but I believed his opinion was skewed by our current lead suspects.

"How's the squint work going there Bones?" he said flipping his cell closed and walking back towards me. I had to make this attraction lessen... I needed to be less distracted! How was this getting out of hand so quickly.

"Booth, we need to talk." I squared my shoulders and took a deep breath. "I have been thinking about what my feelings are, like you said. It became obvious to me that there is an attraction there... here. That's what these confusing feelings are. Because it is difficult for me to foresee what complications can come from this I considered waiting to talk to you about it until this case was over. However, it has become necessary for me to bring it up because, if I'm going to be completely honest, now that I've brought the attraction to the forefront of my mind it has been difficult to keep the thoughts at bay. The curiosity," I began while my eyes trailed the length of him, "has become overwhelming." I finished meeting his eyes, I got lost in the darkness of them. "So," I cut the eye contact off, "it would be helpful to me if you stayed... in your own personal space and if you tried to be less... distracting. It would be helpful and appreciated."

"Appreciated? Really?" He questioned, laughing to himself. "Well, you've peeked my interest. Don't you want to know what I feel? Maybe even what I want?" He said taking a step towards me, "Bones" he said making eye contact with me again, it wasn't exactly a question... it was more like a dare.

"I do not. Well, to be more accurate, I do not right this moment." He kept stepping closer to me... closer. "Booth, I would really _appreciate_ your help in not distracting me from this case any further then," I licked my lips as he stepped even closer, "... then is already inevitable. Please." I said extending my arm out to stop him as his next step brought his chest flush against my flattened hand. "I've spent this long not knowing exactly what it is you're thinking and it is the responsible thing to do to continue waiting. But thank you for asking." I said retracting my hand, clearing my throat and stepping around to the other side of the table to put distance between us.

"I just want to talk this out." He explained staying where I had stopped him. He then turned and looked at me, "how distracting could I possibly be Bones? It's still just me, a few days ago I annoyed you more then anything else. That's fine though I guess, I'll do whatever I can to help you, you know that. But you owe me a talk and I'm going to collect."

'Oh thank goodness' I thought to myself. Had he really tried to change my mind my physical attraction may have let him. But as always my reasoning won out. "I can explain what you want to know at a later time, but really it's not a big deal to wait. We have work to do." I handed him the notes Zach had created that day after identifying just two out of the multiple tools used on the victims. "Read over these and see what we can piece together. If these two lawn workers are our lead suspects that's fine but we need to be looking for evidence to convict them AND drawing any other conclusions there may be, we can't overlook anything. We need to be several steps ahead on this case and we are definitely behind."

His cell phone buzzed, he checked the caller ID then answered with, "I'll be right out."

"Food's here!" He directed at me flipping his phone closed, "be right back."

I walked over to the first of the three bodies we had received from the FBI. Two had been de-'mummified' as Booth called it and I began examining the first victim's phalanges, they had distinct marks on them but they were marks as well as fractures as if the woman had been punching something. Not something one would typically find in torture victims.

"So as long as we've put off our talk for the night I would like to offer a second topic of conversation while we eat, if you have no objection of course." Booth returned placing the bags of Chinese food on the table and flipping my three open folders closed, stacking them, and moving them to the nearest computer desk.

"Well I'd like to hear the topic before I offer my objection or approval." I stipulated.

"A statement of fact, if you will... for debate: I believe I can hold my breath longer then you. Go!" He challenged before he began reaching into the bags and unpacking our food.

"Well I'll agree that it is a matter of fact or fiction. I wouldn't even bother to debate the topic but rather do the most logical thing and put it to the test." I explained.

"Fair enough Bones, fair enough." He said with a smile.

'Should I be worried?'

"Well then what do you want? A competition? I have to say I'm in excellent shape. I am trained in karate which puts focus on breathing, I think I would win." I took a piece of Orange chicken from the carton and brought it to my mouth with chop sticks matter-of-factly.

"I would definitely like to see you try. Are you forgetting I was an Army Ranger? Not to mention I'm a trained FBI agent!"

"Okay well then let's see." I crossed the platform to retrieve a stop watch from Hodgin's station. He swiveled his stool around away from the table and I stopped in front of him, "you ready?" I said waggling the stop watch in front of him.

"Surely, you go ahead and count me in." He said self assuredly and plastered a non-chalant look on his face like he had this competition in the bag.

"3...2...1... Go!" and I clicked the watch into action. Ten seconds ticked by, then twenty, then thirty, then forty. "Well I'm starting to get a little impressed, not worried of course, but minutely impressed." Fifty seconds... sixty seconds... "Well if you get to 90 seconds I might consider this to be difficult." I said as i slowly walked to his shoulder, I rested my forearm on his shoulder and cocked to the side a little so he could read the stop watch with me. The second he passed the 90 mark I lowered my hand to his chest in approval "you're doing well!" and with that he let his breath out in a whoosh.

"Okay I call no fair for cheating!"

I pulled back in shock, "I take offense to that! I've never been a cheater and I simply wouldn't start now."

"You were all touchy! Now who's distracting?!" He countered standing up, "you wouldn't be able to handle it either!"

"I think you're already exaggerating how distracting I find you, Booth." I took the same seat he had relinquished. "I would say do your worst but after being scared out of my mind by soldiers in Central America while trying to excavate a mass grave I don't think you could be as distracting from a goal as you think." I settled into my seat and took a few deep breaths.

"3...2...1..." and he clicked the start button and I held my breath. He then handed the stop watch to me. I put up a confused look but took the watch. He walked forward putting his hands on the outside of my legs and stepped closer so one of his legs was in between mine. "Keep watching that time... don't loose!" He taunted. Leaving his left hand on my thigh he raised his right hand to my throat wrapping his fingers around to the back of my neck and running his thumb along my jawline. He leaned forward and whispered warmth in my ear "don't breath, Bones." He leaned back enough to align our faces and pushed his forehead to mine. He inhaled and breathed out. I had enough presence of mind to place the stop watch on the table then I stood up into him and took a deep breath.

* * *

**I even made this a little extra long just for you guys, I've already started the next chapter so I promise to get it to you lovely readers soon, mainly because it's basically writing itself, fueled by my excitement of course. **

**Please leave me some love, or some tips on how this felt to you guys! I would appreciate help if you have some to give. But above all, thank you squared, cubed even for reading. **


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